Low cost single speed?

[artwebb]

Looked on craigslist, Everyone wants like new prices unless it's an OLD bike, which brings questions of wheather those quality components are still on the bike. Now I know some will disagree with this, but Huffy (which Walmart used to sell) is well known as the best 'cheapo' bike on the market, and having owned quite a few Huffy bikes in the past, I know that rep is well earned, as they are (or were) VERY good bikes for the money. A little surfing showed Academy sports & outdoors sells Huffy bikes, so might go with that, or a Schwinn. What I don't get is, these Mongoose bikes, and Shimano components were the shiiz-na when I was a rider before, how are they now crappy?
May try eBay as well for 'good' old bikes

[Fenlason]

I can't say Mongoose would be any worse than the Huffys you are looking at, but Mongoose is not the Mongoose you knew. They went out of business, and someone bought the name. The same for Motobecane and Schwinn.

A similar concept as if Honda want bankrupt, and the people that built Yugos bought the name. and built their cars using the Honda name. Even though it still is a Honda.. or is called a Honda.. it really is a Yugo..


Shimano makes a lot of components.. Some very very nice.. some that are very very low end.

If you have been happy with these bikes go for it.

Hopefully they will fit you. They don't come in sizes. If they fit great.. if not. ???

[Bike shop bikes do come in sizes]

[Conestoga]

I had a 20" Huffy with ape-hanger bars and a banana seat. Sturdy and relatively lightweight. I assure you that was the coolest bike EVER made.

I feel sorry for kids nowadays, the basic kid's bike is all pimped out and weighs half a ton.

Several years ago my brother came home from wallyworld with a $100 Mongoose bike. It looked great and I took it for a spin. I was surprised how nice it rode, and he was proud. 6 months later I asked what happened to the bike, and he'd said he'd given it away to a teenage kid, and offered no further comment.

My mountain bike cost $350 twenty years ago, and I've put enough in parts to make the sum probably $600 over time. That's $30/year. My brother parted with $100 in less than 6 months.

artwebb, seems to me you're asking the right questions. Pretty soon you'll find yourself in a bike shop comparing shifters and brake mechanisms, running to wallyworld to have a look, and back again. I understand budget limitations, have been there myself. If you would consider building a bike yourself, most bike repair shops have decent used parts lying around, they throw away or will sell them cheap. We have a steel scrapyard around here that is a goldmine if one likes to butcher for parts, maybe you could try that.

[artwebb]

I would LOVE to build my own out of quality components. 31 years ago when I was 12, I lived so close to a Schwinn cyclery shop, their dumpster was right next to my apartment complexes. within six months I had THREE good bike s built entirely of stuff they THREW AWAY! I only had one seat between them but THREE BIKES! I was a kid tycoon without money! and they were all Schwinn stuff! Unfortunately as I pointed out before, the nearest bicycle shop is fifty miles (or more) away, which doesn't make for convienient shopping. And if people in my area are looking for almost new prices on "barely used" (yeah, right) bikes, what will the bike shops want for their decent stuff? Complicating matters is the buyouts you have informed me of. Mongoose still makes bike shop priced bikes ($300+) so not all their bikes are junk? the same for Schwinn, so how's a guy who's out of it for a while supposed to know what is and isn't crap? and believe me, I've seen bike shop guys in the past as bad as any used car guy you've ever met. Wow. I wish I'd kept up with the bike world Maybe buy a crappy bike and upgrade as things wear out?
Conestoga if you've put another $300 or so in your $350 bike over the years, was that mostly upgrades? I've never owned a bike for 20 years, and any bike wears parts over time, but money spent on normal wear and tear to me counts as 'spending more money on it' no more than you'd count money for oil changes as 'spending money on' your car. Replacing brakes, chains, and other wear items isn't 'spending money on it' it's maintaining it. If that's all you've done, it's still a $350 bike that's been maintained. Just Curious/ clarifying.

[Fenlason]

I would LOVE to build my own out of quality components. 31 years ago when I was 12, I lived so close to a Schwinn cyclery shop, their dumpster was right next to my apartment complexes. within six months I had THREE good bike s built entirely of stuff they THREW AWAY! I only had one seat between them but THREE BIKES! I was a kid tycoon without money! and they were all Schwinn stuff! Unfortunately as I pointed out before, the nearest bicycle shop is fifty miles (or more) away, which doesn't make for convienient shopping. And if people in my area are looking for almost new prices on "barely used" (yeah, right) bikes, what will the bike shops want for their decent stuff? Complicating matters is the buyouts you have informed me of. Mongoose still makes bike shop priced bikes ($300+) so not all their bikes are junk? the same for Schwinn, so how's a guy who's out of it for a while supposed to know what is and isn't crap? and believe me, I've seen bike shop guys in the past as bad as any used car guy you've ever met. Wow. I wish I'd kept up with the bike world Maybe buy a crappy bike and upgrade as things wear out?
Conestoga if you've put another $300 or so in your $350 bike over the years, was that mostly upgrades? I've never owned a bike for 20 years, and any bike wears parts over time, but money spent on normal wear and tear to me counts as 'spending more money on it' no more than you'd count money for oil changes as 'spending money on' your car. Replacing brakes, chains, and other wear items isn't 'spending money on it' it's maintaining it. If that's all you've done, it's still a $350 bike that's been maintained. Just Curious/ clarifying.

My first job in a bike shop was in the 70's, I have worked steadily in the business since 1982. I have been at 4 different shops in all those years. They were all honest. At least one of them was so so as to really good knowledge and service. Or at least compared to the last two I have been at.
Where I work now.. we do have kids take our trash and build bikes. They do maybe work to their satisfaction, but it really is trash to us. So so used parts, are not worth our time, or space to hang onto. So we make a little pile outside, which eventually goes to the metal recycle place. People are welcome to pick through it.
Usually If we are replacing a part on a customers bike, it is because there is something wrong with it. Occasionally the person will be just upgrading, but then they usually keep the old parts themselves.. to either ebay, or keep as a spare. We do occationally have some used parts to sell , but that is rare.

I do know Schwinn.. or what is now called Schwinn does try to make bikes for shops to sell also. Most dealers don't. Mongoose may do the same, I am not sure of that. I do not know their quality.

The shop I work at now, was a Mongoose dealer for a long time. I was never really impressed. There were plenty that provided adequate service, but plenty that had problems. They were always trying to make bikes cheaper than everyone else, and in that process often ended up with parts, that did not pan out. I have probably seen more warranty frame issues on Mongoose bikes, than any other bike I have sold.. perhaps all the other brands combined.

how is one to know what is a good bike and what is not. I can't tell you. When new product comes out, there are things we can tell by looking at it and riding it, but only time will tell on much of it.

Up here driving 50 miles to a shop.. is not a bike deal. We have people that will drive over a hundred.

Heck I have seen people [stupidly] driving hundreds of miles.. to several shops, trying to save $10.00, or looking for the best bike at $300.00

[drafter]

Due to back issues I have, I am looking into a recumbent trike. The company I seem to be favoring is TerraTrike out of Michigan. They produce some really nice trikes but the cost is not Wal-Mart level. I cannot ride my mountain bike for very long so I am looking at other ways to get out and ride. I believe they are selling a 3 speed trike for about $900.00. Anyways I will post the link for you to look at.

Web home site:
http://www.terratrike.com/index.php

Video link:
http://www.terratrike.com/videoPopUp.ph ... commercial

There are many different models depending on your riding style.

[Fenlason]

Due to back issues I have, I am looking into a recumbent trike. The company I seem to be favoring is TerraTrike out of Michigan. They produce some really nice trikes but the cost is not Wal-Mart level. I cannot ride my mountain bike for very long so I am looking at other ways to get out and ride. I believe they are selling a 3 speed trike for about $900.00. Anyways I will post the link for you to look at.

Web home site:
http://www.terratrike.com/index.php

Video link:
http://www.terratrike.com/videoPopUp.ph ... commercial

There are many different models depending on your riding style.

good luck.. I hope it works ok with your back.. all backs and back injuries are different. I have ridden a couple of trikes.. they are a blast. The greenspeed tandem recumbent trike in on my want list.

[drafter]

Due to back issues I have, I am looking into a recumbent trike. The company I seem to be favoring is TerraTrike out of Michigan. They produce some really nice trikes but the cost is not Wal-Mart level. I cannot ride my mountain bike for very long so I am looking at other ways to get out and ride. I believe they are selling a 3 speed trike for about $900.00. Anyways I will post the link for you to look at.

Web home site:
http://www.terratrike.com/index.php

Video link:
http://www.terratrike.com/videoPopUp.ph ... commercial

There are many different models depending on your riding style.

good luck.. I hope it works ok with your back.. all backs and back injuries are different. I have ridden a couple of trikes.. they are a blast. The greenspeed tandem recumbent trike in on my want list.

Thanks, I find there are a few things that really seem to agrivate it, and biking is one of those things. I really enjoy riding with the family around town and some of the state parks. I figured if the trikes help to get me riding again it would be worth the extra cost.
I had watched a youtube video showing a recumbent tandem trike and WOW! that is alot of bike. I does look like fun.

[Fenlason]

Due to back issues I have, I am looking into a recumbent trike. The company I seem to be favoring is TerraTrike out of Michigan. They produce some really nice trikes but the cost is not Wal-Mart level. I cannot ride my mountain bike for very long so I am looking at other ways to get out and ride. I believe they are selling a 3 speed trike for about $900.00. Anyways I will post the link for you to look at.

Web home site:
http://www.terratrike.com/index.php

Video link:
http://www.terratrike.com/videoPopUp.ph ... commercial

There are many different models depending on your riding style.

good luck.. I hope it works ok with your back.. all backs and back injuries are different. I have ridden a couple of trikes.. they are a blast. The greenspeed tandem recumbent trike in on my want list.

Thanks, I find there are a few things that really seem to agrivate it, and biking is one of those things. I really enjoy riding with the family around town and some of the state parks. I figured if the trikes help to get me riding again it would be worth the extra cost.
I had watched a youtube video showing a recumbent trike and WOW! that is alot of bike. I does look like fun.

do you have a place where you could try one out.. demo it. or even rent?

[drafter]

I have family in Michigan so I figured I would visit them at their showroom and visit my family at the same time. Otherwise they offer a 30 day risk free road test. They will buy it back if you don't like it. Of couse if you damage it, then you would be responsible for that. A couple of guys I have pm'd about the trikes really like them and say it is easy on the back.

[artwebb]

Well, if everything below $500 is junk, as seems to be the consensus here, I guess I'll just forget it. I have a car and a van that each were purchased for $500, and while neither is a jewel, neither are they junk, and my $700 pickup is more reliable than many new vehicles, albiet not as pretty.
But if $150-250 just buys junk, even on Craigslist, forget it
Fenalson I'm sure there are many honest and helpful bike shop guys out there and I'm possitive you are one of them, but I remember a freind who went to a bike shop and bought used (think it was a Mongoose,in fact, come to think on it, if my fualty memory serves) and still paid more for a bike that turned out to be crappy while my Huffy just kept going and going like it was still new. Verry sad to hear some turd of a company bought them out and ruined the brand.
Drafter I've heard lots of good things about recumbents but you can't terrorize a neighborhood on one like I used to on a BMX, or likely would on an MTB, and $900 is way beyond what I could pay for a bike.
Thanks everyone for your advice but I guess I'm just too busted to pursue this any farther. Keep the chain lubed and the rubber side down.

[Fenlason]

I would not say that everything below $500.00 is junk. I am not sure what our lower end bikes start at now. Previously I used to wrench and sell, and now all I do is wrench. but I would say there are some ok stuff out there in the $300.00's. I don't know at all what single speed prices are. We are fairly hilly here and other then the fixie bikes, we don't sell much for single speeds.

Cars vs bikes. In the early 70's, 73 I think, I paid $100.00 for a "good" used car. I think good is relative.. but it did serve me well. At about the same time I paid $250. for a good used bicycle. I was racing, and it was a good used race bike. It was a race bike, not just a cruise around the neighbor hood bike. Before that bike I paid $90.00 to a piece of junk from Sears.

The shop I work at now. Sold a lot of Mongoose bikes when we first opened. As I said I was not really thrilled with them. Yet I would dare say many of their owners thought they were a great bike, probably most of them. They only really knew about their bike and perhaps a few of their friend"s bikes. Most problems were taken care of by us [and Mongoose], at no charge.

While I saw and knew about all the Mongoose we sold... and how they were compared to all the other bikes we sold.
Despite our problems with them, we kept selling them until their sell out. Their name was considered good by our customers.

Mongoose being sold and cheapened, is common in business. Nordic Trac had a great reputation. They have been bought out, and a lot of their stuff I would not take if given to me freely. I had a friend buy a piece, and after said "but it is a Nordic Trac". It is not uncommon for companies to exist off a previous good reputation.

Too many people shop for price only, and to many companies, are to willing to keep making things cheaper.

[drafter]

I personally think that a bicycle is a bicycle. As long as it has a chain and wheels it will qualify. The difference is on how you plan to use it and how long you will expect it to last.

If a Wal-Mart one is all you can afford that is what you will want to get, but if your like alot of us, we tend to buy things with more gadgits, better quality and pay the price for it. Whatever you buy it will work, it just may not last as long as the more expensive ones. Well maybe it could depending on how you take care of it.

As long as you get out and ride and enjoy doing it, who really cares what it costs? One of my favorite mountain bikes is a Trek 920 that i took on trade for installing a water heater for a friend. It wasn't the fastest or the best looking but it sure rides nice.

So, look at some of the big box stores and see what they have, and also go to some of the bike shops and see what they have to offer. My first good bike was a Giant Rincon and I think it cost around $250.00. Great quality bike just not alot of features. So good luck on your search.

[Fenlason]

I personally think that a bicycle is a bicycle. As long as it has a chain and wheels it will qualify. The difference is on how you plan to use it and how long you will expect it to last.

If a Wal-Mart one is all you can afford that is what you will want to get, but if your like alot of us, we tend to buy things with more gadgits, better quality and pay the price for it. Whatever you buy it will work, it just may not last as long as the more expensive ones. Well maybe it could depending on how you take care of it.

As long as you get out and ride and enjoy doing it, who really cares what it costs? One of my favorite mountain bikes is a Trek 920 that i took on trade for installing a water heater for a friend. It wasn't the fastest or the best looking but it sure rides nice.

So, look at some of the big box stores and see what they have, and also go to some of the bike shops and see what they have to offer. My first good bike was a Giant Rincon and I think it cost around $250.00. Great quality bike just not alot of features. So good luck on your search.

I would say you don't have a lot of experience with the current stock of department store bikes. I wish it was a matter of them just not being as fancy or being heavier etc.

Your Giant Rincon, and the Trek 920 are both decent bikes.. Far from upper end or exotic.. but very usable bikes.

I have seen way to many.department store bikes. that were a month old.. and not serviceable.. No parts available for them.. you basically throw them away and start over. The number I have seen that were unsafe scares me.



In most department stores today, they have an outside outfit that contracts to build their bikes for them. I was recruited by one of those outfits once. They were going to pay me $3.00 a bike to build them. I would want more than that just to unpack it. We generally take an hour and a half to build a bike at the shop. How long would someone take if he is getting paid $3.00 a bike?

On occasion someone will buy a department store bike and then bring it to us to make sure it if put together safely. I have had brake levers brake off in my hand, while applying the brakes. You squeeze the lever, to make sure the cable is anchored securely it also pre-stretches the cables so they don't have to be re-adjusted so soon. In doing so I have had on numerous occations the lever break off in my hand. How would you like to have that happen in an emergency situation???

They take a hundred and something dollar bike and put front and rear suspension on it. They try to make it look like something it is not. They use stuff that does not work.. stuff that I as a bike shop I can't get parts for. They don't have parts for it either. If these companies took that money and tried to just make a simple bike.. they would end up with a much better product.

[Fenlason]

At the shop we call some of these things.. bicycle shaped objects...
it would be funnier if it was not so true..

I am very passionate about cycling.. I want others to do it... and these bicycle shaped objects don't usually bring new people into the sport, it generally has the opposite affect.

I own personally own some pretty exotic equipment, yet I am not a snob. I know there are many people that will never bike like I do and don't need and or can't afford, the fancier stuff. I am fine with that. I just don't like seeing people getting ripped off or stuck with junk.